


the simp, the snake (and a hopeless human)

by yakuist



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Denial of Feelings, M/M, Recreational use of alcohol, Tags May Change, and they were ROOMMATES, dumb drunk bet, im no sorry this is trash, kim mingyu: king of denial, oh yes the simp my favorite type of mc, they are emotionally constipated dumbasses, yoon jeonghan: sly smiles expert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28825923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yakuist/pseuds/yakuist
Summary: “Then, let’s bet. The one who falls for him first loses.”Jeonghan continued. “Neither of us wants that to happen, so at least let’s have a little fun out of it. And maybe a motive to hold back.” And he looked sincere. There was no sight of malice on his face, only a sincere smile framing the little pain in his voice, too steady and calculated to be casual. Mingyu wasn't proud for noticing – or maybe he was a little – but, then again, his roommates had stopped being a mystery to him long ago.
Relationships: Kim Mingyu/Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Kim Mingyu/Lee Jihoon | Woozi/Yoon Jeonghan, Kim Mingyu/Yoon Jeonghan, Lee Jihoon | Woozi/Yoon Jeonghan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18
Collections: Seventeen Rare Pair Fest: 2 Rare 2 Pair





	the simp, the snake (and a hopeless human)

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [SVTRarePairFest2](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SVTRarePairFest2) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> mingyu and jeonghan has a bet. if mingyu falls in love with jihoon, jeonghan wins. if jeonghan falls in love with jihoon, mingyu wins.
> 
> jihoons ends up falling in love with the both of them.

“What about a bet?” That’s how it started.

The words had stumbled on Jeonghan’s mouth, but still caught Mingyu’s attention. They were both a little bit too drunk, late night celebrations for the three of them starting a mini rest from school, work and life. Still, he could notice the seriousness of the proposal.

“What kind of bet”, Mingyu had asked, intrigued and notably interested. Jeonghan had done nothing but smirk – a dangerous spark in his eyes he was an expert at –, and the youngest should have taken that as a sign to back down, to say no – _let’s not play with our friend, with ourselves_ , he should have said –. 

Still he didn’t, he was still a bit weak to him and too dizzy to say so.

“You have been staring at him for an awfully long time, y’know?” Mingyu lets out a snort for that. He doesn’t deny.

“It’s not like you’re any better.”

The older boy kept his smile, slightly softening as he turned his eyes to their sleeping friend on the other side of the table – who had fallen asleep after a couple of drinks and a million hours of work –.

There was a fond gaze in his eyes, something quite unusual for his personality, but Mingyu knew it. He had studied the other’s face, remembered and tattooed all his expressions in the back of his mind. It may have also been the way it mirrored his own expression. They were both equally weak when it came to Jihoon or each other. 

Jeonghan had looked back at Mingyu, his smirk back as playful as ever, and the taller felt naked to that sight. Still he didn’t back down, because drunk Mingyu was confrontational and impulsive.

“You already know my answer. We both have a stronger feeling than friendship for our Jihoonie, am I right?” And maybe it was the tipsiness of the alcohol or the security in Jeonghan’s words, but Mingyu – very different to himself in any other situation – didn’t deny it, but as confrontational as he was in that state, he still wouldn’t be able to fully admit certain stuff. 

So he didn’t answer, not taking his eyes off the older – because Jeonghan knew things, he understood those exact words Mingyu didn’t want to admit to his own self –. “Then, let’s bet. The one who falls for him first loses.”

The room had gone silent. Well, it wasn’t like the room was noisy in the first place, the only ones in the apartment were the two of them and the sleeping figure of Jihoon across the dining table. But the shock in Mingyu’s face remained. Soon, it was exchanged with annoyance, built to the courage of facing his hyung.

“I’m not gonna bet on Jihoonie hyung, he doesn’t deserve that.” Jeonghan doesn’t seem surprised with that – he was familiar already with Mingyu’s habits for changing the subject on matter, to ignore stuff he didn’t want to face just yet –.

“We are not gonna bet on him dummy, we’re betting on our own feelings. I know you don’t want to mess up.” Well that wasn’t wrong, Mingyu thought. 

_What about you and me?_ , Mingyu wanted to say. Nothing came off his lips.

It was like a catastrophic premonition, he couldn’t do anything about it, just wait until it happens and crashes everything. Still, he would dodge and ignore the most he could to delay it, minimize the damage. Maybe it was for the sake of a dynamic, but at least in that aspect he knew better. – Was it egoistic from him to want to be saved from his own feelings? –.

Jeonghan continued. “Neither of us wants that to happen. So, at least, let’s have a little fun out of it. And maybe a motive”, an excuse, “to hold back.” And he looked sincere. There was no sight of malice on his face, only a sincere smile framing the little pain in his voice, too steady and calculated to be casual. Mingyu wasn't proud for noticing – ok, maybe he was a little – but, then again, his roommates had stopped being a mystery to him long ago.

“Maybe you’re right.” Mingyu’s broke the short lived silence. Jeonghan smiled to it at the time he held out a hand.

Mingyu had taken it hesitantly, not taking in consideration the consequences to come. Choosing to blame it later to a fault of the alcohol. He still would be conscious, in the back of his mind, he had chosen knowing. Knowing he couldn’t say no to Jeonghan’s eyes, and knowing he was tired of the impotence of the friendship between his roommates and him. Expecting something he didn’t know – or had the guts to name – yet.

“It’s a bet then.”

Mingyu finds himself unsure of what to do. 

Not in general, of course, as he was currently with frying pan in hand knowing he had to cook breakfast (or whatever food you eat at three pm after a hangover) and half his mind on not ruining the food he was making. The other half though, was racing on the clear events of the night before. 

A part of himself may have hoped for them to blurry out in the fogginess of a drunk state and be remembered as a joke for both him and Jeonghan. Still, the most rational part of him – or maybe it was the impulsive stupid one, whatever – knew better than that and hoping Jeonghan would let it slip – and maybe, he also was decided to remember, but that’s certainly a part of himself he wasn’t going to hear –.

Lost in his task and thoughts, he feels a pair of bulky arms around his waist and his heart sinks in the domesticity of the tiny action. Without taking his eyes off the pan he greets the person behind him.

“Good morning, hyung.” He hears Jihoon grunt behind him in response – something along the lines of a ‘morning if he’s not mistaken –, feeling his breath close in his back. He answers with a chuckle. “You know you should stop working so much, then you will stop falling asleep on tables.”

Jihoon doesn’t say anything, knowing the sermon over his work and sleep hours that would come after if he started defending himself. So he just stays there in Mingyu’s back, who has to keep an inhumane amount of concentration to not burn the food in his hands.

The touch, the situation was as normal as it could be but that didn’t mean the time didn’t feel like stopping in Mingyu’s head every time it happened. Every time he felt his roommate’s skin – or his breath, or his gaze, or his entire being for what could be – he wanted to pretend he was a lucky one with the right to feel his emotions and be with him.

“I see I’m already late for breakfast.” Jeonghan’s voice mumbles laced with both tiredness and cockiness in such a Jeonghan way as he enters the room. 

“You can barely call this a breakfast when it’s three pm, hyung.” He turns off the stove and serves the food in three plates, a bit extra to Jihoon cause he has always been a heavy eater.

“Anything is a breakfast if you think hard enough on it Minggu-ya.” The oldest shrugs. He ruffles Jihoon’s already messy burnt out blond hair and presses a kiss on Mingyu’s shoulder – who feels the warmth of his lips burn in the skin under his shirt –. 

They end up eating on the kitchen counter, between easy talk and familiarity. Mingyu drifts away in his mind – Jeonghan keeps saying he only shuts up when there’s food in the middle – and he chooses to pretend once again. Pretend that the kiss on his shoulder meant more than casual affection, that maybe he could feel that warmth on his own lips, and that the he had the right to feel at home in that moment.

In the meaning time, he had two boys with messy hair and sleepy expressions competing over god knows what in front of him, with him. Fondness of a strange subject – or it wasn’t strange, he was just a coward –. A smile appears on his face.

Maybe that’s enough for now, he convinces himself – as he needs to think it is enough –.

The bet deal passes unapproached for the next few days. Mingyu wouldn’t have remembered if it wasn’t for his insufferable brain drowned in anxiousness expecting for a something, and Jeonghan’s quick sly smiles that made him shiver every time he was the slightest close to Jihoon’s personal space bubble. 

Still, aside from that, he would allow himself to picture his normal what ifs and drift away a little bit – obviously in a tiny, minimal, almost platonic curious way, of course, nothing to be scared or worry about where he was in a point of no return on his feelings because that would be scandalous –.

Like in that occasion, he would imagine that the lazy movie evening they were spending in the oldest’ room had a different meaning other than just rewatch for the thousandth time infinity war on their free day with an unhealthy amount of snacks and spicy ramen.

He would think of the what if Jihoon’s back resting on his chest had a deep affectionate meaning aside from the casual touch; and, instead, it was part of a code for telling Mingyu he could trust him enough to let himself show vulnerability outside of his touch-hating persona – Mingyu knew better, how he liked touch when it was on his terms –. 

He would think Jeonghan’s arm touching his next to him had been an excuse for contact instead of an involuntary thing caused by the tiny space they were sharing in the twin sized bed. That the head resting on his shoulder meant more than the result of commodity and tiredness accumulated at two am.

The movie falls as white noise to him, and the time passes with him not being aware. Both his roommates are fast asleep on him, but he doesn’t want to move – he wants to capture a something from the moment, or perhaps it was just tiredness on his body, who knows –. 

His skin burned on the places where his hyungs rested.

The screen starts showing the final battle of the film, and in the back of his mind he can see Jihoon’s exited face every time they watch it, he would almost hear Jeonghan chuckle at his child like expression with fondness. Jihoon would grunt a bit, but with no real anger – he rarely felt that real anger despite popular belief –.

The scene finishes, he turns off the TV and the room goes dark.

Mingyu stares at the ceiling. The touch still burns and his mind still plays impossible scandalous scenarios. He still could pinpoint the exact habits and myths on Lee Jihoon. He could still decipher every smile and gesture on the Yoon Jeonghan book. The warmness was still there.

He thinks of the bet and Jihoon’s sleeping figure, ignorant of the game they were playing to retain themselves of messing all up.

He thinks of the bet and Jeonghan’s hopeful, scared eyes asking him if he agreed. _And what about us?_ , he wanted to ask. 

Mingyu stares at the ceiling and he feels ready – impatient maybe, because he has come to his limit and because he needs something to happen even if it is catastrophic –.

He takes from the back of his mind the question, that specific what if in his subconscious, and carefully formulates it as a whisper – because scandalous matters like those shouldn’t be screamed just like that –.

_What if I like them?_

The room is still quiet and dark. Mingyu still has his two roommates sleeping on him and the touch of their bodies still burns on his own. The world still spins.

Mingyu is still a coward who thinks of the what ifs, but, at least, he can admit defeat now – maybe he had already lost a long time ago –.

**Author's Note:**

> oofff so that's the first half of this mess  
> for the prompter im sorry if this was not what you may have had in mind  
> still I hope you enjoyed whatever this mess is!!
> 
> I personally adore writing characters like them and ended up making a ton of scenarios for them so this worked a lot as a creativity source (i may do some drabbles about them in the close future but i cant promise anything)
> 
> infinite thank yous to the patient, nice mods and for creating such a nice atmosphere for this event!!
> 
> if you enjoyed you are invited to leave a kudo or a comment, it would absolutey make my day


End file.
